Away from classroom lessons in English, biology and history, Alexis Ledbetter '12 sees the need to teach young women about some other topics that will serve them well over their lifetimes. Ledbetter focuses on helping them understand the importance of acceptance and encourages their respect for others' backgrounds and personal situations. As a second-year Resident Assistant (RA) in Peter and Paul Hall and one of 47 RAs on campus, Ledbetter exemplifies the role of residence life staff in the crucial adjustment of first-year students.

Charles F. Lee wrote a book titled “The Adventures of ICKLE, PACKY, PICKLE and GOOCH,” about the mischievous and hilarious adventures of four grammar school–aged boys growing up in the late 1920s. Designed for young readers as well as adults, the book may also be a walk down memory lane for senior adults who grew up in the late 1920s and early Depression years in the 1930s. Lee received a master’s degree in mass communication from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War.

Valla Coffman Aguilar is director of marketing for the Office of Marketing and Communications at North Central College where she also spent three years as assistant director of admission/marketing coordinator. She has served the last three years as senior marketing communications specialist with Dental Network of America in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

Sharon Arendsen McManus served as a U.S. delegate to the 2010 International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE) Council in Sligo, Ireland. More than 250 home economists from around the world attended. McManus is a member of the IFHE Development Fund Committee and director of the IFHE-U.S. Development Fund.

André Buchenot earned his Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His dissertation explored applications of literacy theory in an online writing course. This fall, he accepted a position as assistant professor of English with an emphasis on digital literacy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He is presenting again at the Conference on College Composition and Communication in Atlanta in April 2011 and at other conferences in the coming months. He may be reached at buchenot@iupui.edu.

It took just two years for William Muck, assistant professor of political science, to endear himself as a favorite teacher among North Central College students. He was named the winner of the 2010 Dissinger Award for Junior Faculty with enthusiasm and endorsements.

J. Charles Eldridge, Ph.D. co-authored a 480-page book titled “Endocrine Toxicology,” 3rd Edition, published in 2010 by Informa Healthcare. The book emphasizes toxic mechanisms and regulatory issues of environmental pollutants known as endocrine disruptors. He is a professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University and regularly consults with chemical manufacturers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on matters of endocrine toxicology.

Nathan August Emery is the national program manager for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Border Enforcement Security Task Force in Washington, D.C., where he also lives. He may be reached at nathanaemery@aol.com.